Make this tale live for us in all its many bearings, O Muse Homer’s Odyssey, translation by T.E. Lawrence My muse has been very sleepy. I was prepared for 2023 to be easier than 2022. A cross-country move through a spanner in the works of my writing life during 2022. Things started to settle downContinue reading “2023 Goals: Creating While Your Muse Sleeps”
Tag Archives: Historical Fiction
Why Food is a Great Storyteller
It’s that time of year when food becomes a central part of almost every conversation. Although, to be fair, it’s a year round hobby for me to talk about food. Now, everyone seems to be planning their holiday meals and baking. And maybe, for the first time since the pandemic began, go to actual holidayContinue reading “Why Food is a Great Storyteller”
World Building in Historical Fiction: Layering in the Details
A child’s stiff leather shoes still in the box. A stack of undergarments. Bags of flour. Bulk teas and spices. A license to operate a business. Chopsticks. All things we would recognize today. Going about our daily lives, we wouldn’t consider any of them museum-worthy. But put them alongside an abacus, assay equipment (for determiningContinue reading “World Building in Historical Fiction: Layering in the Details”
Maps Orient Us In Historical Fiction
Historical maps are windows into other worlds. They connect us to the past in a concrete way, allowing us to visualize how to get from the marina to the nearest thermopolium in Ancient Ostia, how to reach the King’s Apartments in Henry VIII’s Hampton Court Palace, or figure out the names of streets as theyContinue reading “Maps Orient Us In Historical Fiction”
Historical Fiction Shines When It Reflects Our Diverse History
Every February, we celebrate Black History Month. Still, we haven’t yet heard many stories—stories that deserve to be told because they are part of our collective history. Understanding the complexity of the human experience requires inclusivity. Resetting how we learn history As a History major at the University of Texas, I took a writing seminarContinue reading “Historical Fiction Shines When It Reflects Our Diverse History”
Writing in the Time of No Time
It’s August. Five months and counting since quarantine began. Weeks upon weeks of being inside with a husband, an eight-year old, and two cats. And now the heat. Open the door and it feels like an oven blast. Stress. Distance learning, teleworking, global health crisis, injustice, political news that seems to spiral down every day.Continue reading “Writing in the Time of No Time”
Taking the Story from Idea to Draft
I’ve got an idea. Now what? In 2019, I did a full work up of my family history. Due diligence is necessary when researching. There is a lot of garbage online about genealogy. But there is also a lot of great stuff. It’s just a matter of sorting the wheat from the chaff. Cross-referencing andContinue reading “Taking the Story from Idea to Draft”
The Evolution of a Writer, Historical Fiction Edition
I wrote a book. Two, actually. Both historical fiction. Hopefully with more to come. Research is the key to historical fiction I consider research to be my superpower. We all have a superpower. It’s usually something you are good at, but also something you like to do. Did I love to research first or didContinue reading “The Evolution of a Writer, Historical Fiction Edition”
Kate Zerrenner 